Taken For Granted
by Iknowyoulovemexoxo
Summary: Stephanie feels neglected by Paul when he keeps cancelling on her so she goes to the bar and gets drunk setting off a series of events that lead to a terrible accident. Can they find their way through the mess and back into each others arms?


_"You're supposed to be with me, you're supposed to be **my** girlfriend. We're supposed to be getting married Steph."_

_Running her fingers through her hair she didn't understand, "I **am** with you, we **are** getting married. What is all of this about?"_

_"I saw you with him. I saw where his hands were, I saw where **your** hands were. I'm not stupid Steph, I know you're sleeping with him."_

6 hours earlier

Putting dinner in the oven Stephanie turned around to put the finishing touches to dessert, he wasn't a big dessert person so this was more for her than it was for him but she was making his favourite dinner and they were going to have a romantic evening in together.

Looking at her watch as she shut the fridge door after putting the dessert in their safely she had timed everything perfectly, Paul should be home in twenty to thirty minutes and dinner would be ready in about forty five giving him just enough time to shower before dinner if he wanted to.

Straightening out her skirt she had dressed up especially for this evening because it had been a long few weeks and she had been planning a romantic evening for the two of them for a while but he had kept cancelling because of work so as he'd promised to be home early tonight she was making the most of it.

Her attention was drawn to her cell phone when it began to vibrate dancing on the worktop as it began to ring. Grabbing the offended object she smiled as he saw his name on the display, "hey baby, are you nearly home?"

Running his fingers through his hair he hated to do this to her again but he just couldn't get away, "I'm sorry Steph but I'm going to be late."

Squeezing her eyes tightly shut she tried to hold back the tears because it might not be too bad, "how late?"

"A couple of hours."

That was the breaking point and a few tears escaped her eyes, "a few **hours**?! You promised me you'd be home early tonight."

Hearing his name being called he waved his hand in acknowledgement, "I know and I will make it up to you. Listen I've got to go as they're calling for me, I love you baby."

Before she even had chance to reply to him the line went dead as he hung up on her, "I love you too."

Turning around she shut the cooker off because there was no point in the dinner finishing cooking as he wouldn't be home to eat it. Wiping at her eyes she had had just about enough of sitting home on the couch waiting for him to decide that he was ready to come home so tonight was going to be different, she wasn't going to wait for him tonight.

Making her way towards the stairs she headed upstairs to fix her make-up and to get her purse and some shoes before she headed out, there was a bar just a couple of blocks away and she was going to drown her sorrows and see how he liked it coming home to an empty house.

Entering the bar she went straight over and took a seat, "a shot of whiskey please." As soon as the drink was sat in front of her she downed it hissing as the liquid burnt her throat, "one more please." Once she had downed that one also and felt a little looser she ordered a glass of one that she could nurse for a while as she had no plans to get absolutely smashed.

Pulling into the drive a few hours later and Paul was surprised to see the house all in darkness, it was getting late and he figured he'd at least see the television flickering in the front window but there was nothing. Grabbing his bag from the back of the car he made his way to the front door unlocking it and stepping inside, "Steph, I'm home."

Dropping his bag at the bottom of the stairs he stuck his head into the lounge and didn't see her there so walked into the kitchen to get a bottle of water from the fridge. As he opened the fridge door he was surprised to see a dessert sitting there whole waiting to be eaten, walking to the cooker he opened it to see what leftovers there were for tonight but all he found was a half cooked version of his favourite meal.

A little concerned he shut the cooker again before leaving the kitchen and grabbing his bag that lay at the bottom of the stairs and carried it upstairs and into the master bedroom dropping it in the corner of the room expecting to see Stephanie laying in bed but there was no sign of her so he entered the en-suite bathroom and that was also empty. Sighing heavily he shook his head, "looks like she's gone out drinking to punish me."

Walking back downstairs he knew exactly where she would be and so he set off to convince her to come home.

Three glasses of wine later and Stephanie was feeling tipsy but she was still aware of her surroundings and what was going on when she felt a presence beside her, turning her head she rolled her eyes seeing a guy sat there, "fuck off, there are plenty of other seats along this bar."

"Come on baby, don't be like that. What is a beautiful woman like that doing all by yourself sat here in a bar?"

Turning a little further to face him she glared at him, "what is an asshole like you doing out without a muzzle?"

There was some hooting and hollering from some guys behind and she flipped them all off before she turned back to her glass of wine pleased when the guy beside her left. Downing the last of her glass she contemplated whether to go home or not but as she looked at her watch she figured he wouldn't be home yet anyway so she pushed her glass across the bar, "I'll have another one of those please."

"I'll buy that for her and I'll take a beer please."

Rolling her eyes she turned to glare at the new guy that appeared stood beside her, "I can pay for my own drinks thanks."

"I never said you couldn't, I was just trying to be a gentleman. Can I join you?"

Shrugging her shoulders she wasn't in the mood to fight, "it's a free country I guess."

Taking her now refilled glass of wine she took a sip as the guy took a swig of his beer before saying, "I'm Corey, it's nice to meet you."

"Stephanie, I would say the same but I don't care for anyone tonight."

Corey held his bottle of beer between his hands, "I'm sorry to hear that. Do you want to talk about it?"

She twirled the glass of wine around on the top, "my fiancé stood me up for the I lost counting how many times in the past month. I'm sick of being sat at home waiting for him whenever he decides to come home so I'm drinking my pain away and I must say it is working well."

Smirking a little the heartbroken women were always the easiest targets, "wait, you have a boyfriend and he is repeatedly standing you up? Does he not realise what he has waiting at home for home? I'd do anything to have a beautiful and sexy woman like yourself waiting for me."

"Yeah well my fiancé apparently disagrees with you."

Reaching across he put his hand over hers and squeezed it gently, "he doesn't know what he is missing."

Silence fell over them as Stephanie focussed on finishing her glass of wine and as she did Corey suggested a shot of something a little stronger and she didn't say no, she knew she should have but she just didn't.

Watching as she downed the shot Corey leant a little closer and whispered in her ear, "want something a little stronger to take the pain away?"

Turning her head to the side she didn't think anything could take the pain away, "something like?"

Leaning closer he wrapped one arm around her back whilst resting his other on the edge of the bar as he pressed his lips to hers.

Whimpering gently against his lips she didn't immediately pull away but she didn't immediately get into it either but with the amount of alcohol she had consumed her inhibitions were lowered and she slid her arm around his waist resting just above his ass and one arm around his neck.

Pushing the door of the bar open Paul immediately started looking his his wife and growled when he saw her sat at the bar snogging the face off some random guy. Turning around he stormed back out of the bar and headed home, if that's how she wanted to behave then she was welcome to be single.

Coming to her senses Stephanie pushed the guy off her, "no, no, I can't do this. I have a fiancé, I love him, he might not be the best sometimes but he is mine and I love him."

Opening her purse she tossed a few bills on the bar to cover her tab before she quickly made her way out of the bar to go home.

Arriving home Paul took the stairs two at a time and went straight for the master bedroom pulling his suitcase out of the closet and throwing it on the bed open pulling his clothes out of the closet and drawers and just stuffing them into the suitcase.

Walking up the drive she was pleased to see Paul's car there but she wasn't sure she was ready to face him. Reluctantly she put her key in the lock and opened the front door but frowned when she saw Paul hurrying downstairs with his suitcase in hand, "where are you going?"

Surprised to see her stood in front of him he was expecting her new boyfriend to be behind her but she appeared to be alone, "I'm leaving."

"What?! Why?"

Laughing he shook his head, "don't act dumb with me. Why do you think I'm leaving you?"

She really had no clue why he was leaving so said the only thing she could think of that could be the reason, "because I didn't finish cooking your dinner and instead went and got drunk at the bar?"

Looking at her incredulously he couldn't believe her, "wow, you think I'm like that do you? Nice to know what you think of me."

She was more than a little drunk and definitely a lot confused right now, "then what the hell is it Paul? I'm the one who has been sitting at home every night for **weeks** waiting for you to decide to come home and the one night I'm not here you decide you're leaving. What else could be the reason?"

"You're supposed to be with me, you're supposed to be **my** girlfriend. We're supposed to be getting married Steph."

Running her fingers through her hair she didn't understand, "I **am** with you, we **are** getting married. What is all of this about?"

"I saw you with him. I saw where his hands were, I saw where **your** hands were. I'm not stupid Steph, I know you're sleeping with him."

Her eyes widened and she began to cry when she realised that he came to the bar looking for her, "it's not what you think, Paul it really isn't."

Shrugging his shoulders he didn't think it could be anything but what he thought, "you weren't strangers the way he was touching you and you were touching him. I know where I stand so I will be back in a few days to collect the rest of my stuff. Goodbye Steph."

Pushing his way past her he shrugged her off as she grabbed his arm and ignored her pleas for him to stop and talk to her and didn't stop walking until he was in his car and he pulled out of the drive.

Wincing as he slammed the front door shut she knew there was no point chasing after him right now so she did the only thing she could do and pulled out her phone blindly scrolling through her contacts as the tears poured down her face until she found her brother's number and called him. Pacing back and forth as she heard his car pull out of the drive she listened to the phone ring until she heard her brother's voice and choked out between sobs, "Shane . . . I need you . . . I've done something . . . so . . . stupid."

Hearing her sister in tears he didn't wait for her to finish before he was grabbing around for his shoes and pulled them on, "where are you Steph? I'll be right there."

"Home. Hurry Shane, I need you."

"I'll be there as soon as I can."

Hanging up the phone he turned to his wife, "something's wrong with Steph, I don't know where Paul is but I have to go to her."

Marissa nodded her head, "go, she needs you and you need to be there for her."

Shane practically ran out the door and hopped in the car taking the back streets to his sister's house knowing it would be quicker than the main road.

Paul was fuming as he drove down the road, he couldn't believe he had put so much time and effort into his relationship only for her to throw it all back in his face like that, he wondered how long it had been going on.

Watching as the stop light he was stopped at turned from red to green he started to pull out ready to turn right at the intersection once it was clear. Momentarily distracted by the ringing of his phone beside him he ignored it but his attention was drawn to the bright lights that seemed to be getting closer at a fast pace and the truck didn't seem to be stopping and before he could react he felt his car get hit full force by the truck and he immediately blacked out.

As soon as she put the phone down from Shane Stephanie began to ring Paul, each time she let it ring out until it went to voice mail before she ended the call and began again. She was determined to keep ringing until he got sick of her calling and answered the phone.

When the doorbell rang she opened the door with her free hand as she listened to the phone ring out, "come on Paul, answer the phone already."

Frowning Shane entered the house and shut the door behind him, "what's going on? Why have you been crying and why are you trying to call Paul?"

Grumbling as the phone went to voice mail again she looked at the floor embarrassed, "I was pissed because he cancelled on me **again** so I went and got drunk at the bar and some guy hit on me and kissed me and I stupidly kissed him back and Paul saw us and thinks I'm sleeping with the guy."

"Are you?"

"Shane!"

Putting his hands up in defence he shouldn't have asked when she was in that state, "I'm sorry, I had to ask. So what can I do for you?"

Sighing she shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know, I'm drunk and irrational and I just need someone with me."

As the emergency crews worked on getting Paul stable and out of the car his cell phone kept ringing and it was annoying people, "someone needs to answer that phone, whoever it is seems desperate."

As they carefully removed Paul from the car one of the Policemen entered the car and picked up the phone from the passenger foot well just as it began to ring again, "hello?"

Listening as the phone began to rang again Stephanie was desperate for him to answer so when she heard 'hello' she was so happy until she realised it wasn't Paul's voice, "who are you and what are you doing with my fiancé's phone?"

"I'm sorry, my name is Officer Purnell and I am with Greenwich Police. Does your fiance drive a black hummer?"

Her heart dropped into her stomach and she started to cry again, "yes. What has happened? Is he okay?"

Moving out of the way so the ambulance could leave he had never done this before, "umm he's been in an accident and is being taken to the Greenwich Hospital."

Frustrated by the lack of details she just hung up the phone and turned to Shane, "I need to go to the Greenwich Hospital, please."

Shane had already figured something was up and was swinging his keys back and forth on his finger as he waited so as soon as she said that he opened the front door, "let's go."

Thirty minutes later and she was sat in a waiting room at the hospital impatiently waiting for news of Paul, she fully blamed herself for him being in the position he was in and it was killing her. Standing up she began to pace back and forth, "oh for fucks sake can they just tell us what's going on."

Sighing Shane reached out towards her, "sit down, they need to evaluate him and do all of the tests to see how injured he is."

Spinning around to face him she put her hands on his hips, "he is **NOT** injured, he can't be injured. If he is injured this is all my fault, I will never forgive myself and if he dies I think I will die too."

Watching as his sister fell to her knees with tears streaming down her face broke Shane's heart and he immediately went and picked her up guiding her to a seat before he wrapped his arms around her, "shhh, he's not going to die, he's too tough to die."

Shane held her tightly as she cried, he really hoped that Paul wasn't injured and they could make things right between them.

Half an hour later and finally a Doctor came out from the back, "who is here for Paul Levesque?"

Diving out of her seat Stephanie was definitely not feeling in the slightest bit drunk any longer, "me, I am. How is he?"

Smiling softly the Doctor nodded his head, "he's stable. He has a broken arm, a couple of broken ribs, a concussion and some cuts and bruises. He is very lucky to be alive."

"Can I see him please? Can I sit with him?"

The Doctor nodded his head, "yes you can. He is just being transferred to a side room right now but I will have a Nurse come and get you when he is settled."

Going back to Shane she took a seat beside him, "I'm going to stay here with him all night, you don't have to stay."

Shaking his head he wasn't going to leave his sister yet, "I will stay for a while, don't worry."

Ten minutes later and a Nurse came out to take her to Paul. As she entered the room she gasped seeing him laying there with his arm in a cast and his face all cut up, slowly walking over to him she traced the bandage covering one of the cuts on his head, "I'm sorry Paul, it's all my fault."

Dragging a chair across the room she sat in it beside Paul and took hold of his good hand gripping it tightly, "please don't leave me, I can't live with you."

Squeezing his and tightly she closed her eyes resting her head on the bed just taking a moment.

Paul had his eyes closed as his head was thumping and his arm and ribs were aching and he was trying to rest like he was told to do when he heard Stephanie enter, he didn't have the energy to fight with her but hearing her so upset struck a chord within him.

Taking a moment to think of what he should say he waited as her head rested on the bed before he turned his head to look at her, "I love you Steph."

Squealing she jumped when he spoke having thought he was asleep, "Jesus Paul, I thought you were asleep."

Smiling sheepishly he felt guilty, "sorry, I was just resting as my head is thumping and I'm waiting for the painkillers to kick in. What are you doing here?"

Looking at him like he was crazy she didn't realise things would be this bad between them, "well when a Policeman answers your phone says you've been in an accident I am obviously going to be rushing here to be with you. Paul I know I royally fucked up tonight, I was angry and hurt and feeling utterly neglected and unloved and I was drunk. I know none of this is an excuse for what I did and I am sorry for hurting you and if I could take it back I would but I love you, I only want to be with you and nobody else. Please don't leave me."

He wanted to lift his hand to wipe away the tears that were freely falling down her face but he only had one good hand and she was gripping it tightly, "I'm sorry. I know I have a major part to play in all of this and this accident has made me realise how much I took you for granted. I'm sorry that I cancelled on you so much, I have been a pretty shit fiancé to you."

"Two wrongs don't make a right Paul."

Chuckling lightly he immediately regretted it, "fuck that. I know they don't but I completely overreacted and I am sorry. Do you **really** want to be with me?"

Nodding her head she was eager, "yes! More than anything in this world. Please don't leave me."

Moving over a little on the bed so there was now a space he wanted to hold her, "I didn't want to leave you to begin with. I love you Steph, I just freaked out when I saw you with that other guy because it should have been me, I should have been home tonight and you should have been kissing me."

Leaning forward she pressed a soft kiss to his lips, "I love you."

"Enough to climb on this bed and cuddle with me?"

Raising her eyebrow she thought he was nuts, "you have broken ribs."

"And I will have a broken heart if you don't cuddle me."

She hated it when he emotionally blackmailed her like that to get what he wanted but tonight was an exception to every rule. Taking a deep breath she reluctantly climbed onto the bed beside him and cuddled into him without getting too close to his ribs, "if it hurts too much tell me and I will move."

Sighing heavily he just needed her here with him, "I will."

Settling beside him she closed her eyes holding him as gently as possibly relaxing knowing he was here with her and he wasn't leaving.

Moving his broken arm a little he played with the ring on her finger a little thinking about how close he had come to losing her on so many levels tonight before he just rested his hand below hers rubbing the back of it with his thumb.

Shane had given them both fifteen minutes alone together before he went to check up on them to make sure it was all okay. As he walked into the hospital room he saw Stephanie laying on the bed with Paul, "shall I move her?"

Turning his head to see Shane stood there he was confused but his head hurt too much to think about it, "no, I asked her to lie there so leave her please."

"Isn't it hurting?"

"A little but it's a good pain, I know she is here with me. Tonight has been a major wake up call for us both, we have both taken each other for granted and it won't happen again."

Walking over to them Shane moved his sisters hair away from her face and chuckled when he saw that she was asleep, "looks like the alcohol has taken affect. I'm going to head home to Marissa, I'll be back in the morning so tell her not to worry about a cab. Take care of yourself though and no more accidents please."

"Will do, thanks Shane."

Shrugging his shoulders he waved politely at him as he walked out of the room grateful he no longer had to pick up the pieces of his sister's broken heart.

Once Shane had left the room Paul wrapped his arm a little tighter around Stephanie and rested his head back comfortably on the pillow and closed his eyes as the painkillers kicked in and made him really sleepy. Tomorrow, or well later that morning, was a new beginning for them both.


End file.
